“Joba’s staying in the bullpen right now. That’s where we’re at. [Putting him in the rotation is] not something that’s going to happen here early on, and [Hank] knows that. We’ve talked about it. I don’t know what set him off.”

“It’s all of our intention to try to get him back into the rotation by the end of the year. I’ve addressed it many times, as did Joe (Girardi) and (GM Brian) Cashman. I’m just saying it would be nice to have him there right now. He’s going to be great anywhere we have him but, my preference is as a starter and that’s everybody else’s preference, too.”

So, Hank said Joba was needed in the rotation now. Cashman said it’s not going to happen early. Then Hank shared the team plan was to have him there by the end of the year and that he wasn’t demanding for Joba to start now.

Well, Adam Schein has a point. It doesn’t sound like moving Joba now was always the team’s plan, does it?

Kevin Kernan was on SNY’s WheelHouse yesterday and had some more to add on the Hank/Joba topic:

Comments on Was Hank Behind The Joba Call?

Considering the plan was for him to start the moment they drafted him, yes, I would say it was a “team” decision. They had him starting in the spring, with the explicit intention to start him at some point. Since they don’t do anything with the young pitchers that isn’t planned out in the extreme, you have to believe this was the plan all along. But if it makes better press to suggest Hank “demanded” this — though there’s no evidence he has done anything but talk at this point — then, hey, why not?

I know we had this debate before, YES v. SNY, but what’s up with this network? It’s like WFAN’s TV arm or something. The entire station is filled with FAN’s anonymous Mets-centric hosts. They need to cast a larger net.

Does anyone else find it strange that they are transitioning Joba by having him throw again on two days rest, and about ten pitches more – 45 being the reported target?

Is this how its been done before? At what point do you move him onto a five day schedule, with bullpen sessions in between?

I notice Wang is going now on Sunday, and its being presented as wanting to test his calf with fielding drills first. But isn’t it obvious that Wang is the wrong pitcher to send out on a day that Joba is getting his extra work in, but Mussina, who is unlikely to go six complete in any circumstance, makes perfect sense going on three days rest after a short outing?

Of course, it doesn’t make perfect sense to Mussina, who needs four days rest, partly cloudy skies and a relative humidity no higher than 75% in order for him to feel “right”.

If you listen to Cashman’s interview with Kay yesterday (on ESPN 1050), it’s hard not to come away with the impression that it was an organizational decision based on purely baseball considerations while also taking Joba’s personal preference into account.